Sunday, February 16th @ 1pm at our Strip District coffee bar we’re having a tasting of three rare, never before offered coffees from the Cafe Inmaculada project. The coffee is already sold out, and we will offer it one day only, so don’t miss your chance to taste them!

Tickets are available for $18 at either location prior to the event, and $20 on the day of the event.

We are very pleased to announce that next week and for a limited time we will be offering some new coffees from a different roaster: Tim Wendelboe.

Tim Wendelboe is an Oslo, Norway based micro-roaster, coffeebar, training center, AND a person (World Barista Champion 2004). Similarly to Intelligentsia, Tim Wendelboe travels to origin and works alongside quality-minded coffee producers in order to source the best coffees in the world. I’ve shared a couple videos on our Tumblr detailing some of the work they have done in Kenya and Colombia. Also like Intelligentsia, their coffee buying process is transparentwith the goal of rewarding quality coffee production with high prices. As Mr. Wendelboe likes to say, quality costs more. Tim Wendelboe has also become famous in the coffee world for the way they roast their coffee. In their words regarding “Light Roast Coffees”:

We wish to preserve and enhance as much of the natural coffee flavours as possible so that you will be able to taste the distinct flavours that is unique to each coffee we import. Therefore we roast our coffees very carefully in order not to cover our coffees with roasty or burned aromas from darker roasts and at the same time stay away from the undeveloped and sour acidity from too light roast.

I have admired their work for the past several years but I hadn’t had the opportunity to taste their coffee until they implemented international shipping. They were kind enough to send along samples from Finca Tamana, Colombia and Tekangu, Kenya. Today they are shipping 25kg to us that we expect to receive on Monday. Shipping roasted coffee from Oslo to Pittsburgh is not inexpensive, so there will be a small and temporary increase in prices on drinks while these coffees are offered.

So I hope I’ve provided a good explanation of why we’ve added Tim Wendelboe to our offerings. They are not replacing Intelligentsia, but rather they complement the delicious coffees we get from Chicago every week. If all goes well we will place future orders.

A very popular buzzword in coffee or food these days is “LOCAL”. We are encouraged to buy locally produced goods. Coffee that is roasted across the Atlantic Ocean would not qualify as “local coffee” in most people’s minds, but remember that all coffee is grown/produced in the tropics… far from the Strip District of Pittsburgh. Coffee that is produced in Kenya or Colombia for example makes a journey to a coffee roaster and from there to a coffee bar. The last leg of this coffee’s journey is a bit longer than usual, but it is travelling to YOUR local coffee shop. We here at 21st Street Coffee and Tea are committed and delighted to offer you the best coffees we can get into our hands. We hope you enjoy them!

Join us for a coffee tasting and discussion about Intelligentsia Coffee. Jay from Intelligentsia will chat about their Direct Trade purchasing model and Seasonal Approach to coffee while we brew up delicious samples of their Single Origin coffees. The event and coffee samples are free and open to the public.

Friday 12:00-1:00p at the Downtown location (225 Fifth Ave.)

Saturday 9:30-11:30a at the Strip District location (2002 Smallman St.) We’ll have some Geisha to try, the world’s most expensive and revered coffee!

About Jay Cunningham - Intelligentsia Sales Executive / Buyer

Jay began at Intelligentsia over 13 years ago packing coffee in the warehouse and has worked in Customer Service, Accounting, and Design before working in sales, two years ago he became a member of the buying team. Although he loved working in marketing, and was thrilled to design the Los Inmortales, Cruz del Sur, and La Tortuga marks - he is happier in the field working with the diverse spectrum of eccentric, passionate coffee people. His time in sales is spent working with independent coffeeshops and restaurants- helping to expand and develop their coffee programs. An avid cupper and coffee lover, he is excited to be working with farmers and eager to be part of coffee’s continued evolution. He lives in Oak Park, IL with his wife Chloe and their three kids and enjoys playing music, gardening, cycling, camping and taking advantage of Chicago’s culture.

Here’s a picture of Jay getting a coffee at our old Frick Building location back in the day (2007).

Today we are introducing a new offering to our coffee lineup- the Aeropress. We’ve been serving 12oz coffees prepared exclusively with the Hario v60 for a couple years now, and while we continue to be very pleased with the quality of our pourovers, we’ve wanted to add a smaller coffee to the menu. We’ve been tweaking our Aeropress method for a few months and we feel that while slightly different from the pourover the sweetness, acidity, strength and flavors that we enjoy come through very well in the cup.

We like the Aeropress for a couple of reasons. First, we can now serve you an 8oz coffee that is brewed fresh to order… because sometimes 12oz of our coffee can be a little too much in the caffeine department. Second, the Aeropress should be a little quicker, taking about 2 1/2 minutes to prepare versus 3 1/2 minutes for a v60. Next, because we’re using less coffee and it takes a little less time… we can charge about $0.75 less for an 8oz Aeropress versus a 12oz v60.

For those of you that like to enjoy an espresso (or macchiato, or cappuccino) and a filter coffee, this 8oz brew might just be the perfect fit for your caffeine budget. We also carry the Aeropress for sale at both locations, and would be happy to share our method with you.

We aren’t currently hiring, but we’re looking for people that would enjoy working here- freelancers, folks looking for a second office, perhaps someone that’s starting their own business. You may already come here regularly to enjoy a coffee, to get away from the home office, and to get some work done. We think we can improve on that experience. That’s why we’re setting up the loft area just above our bar as a co-working space.

By signing up, you get access to the loft 7 days per week (during our business hours), meaning you’ll always have a spot waiting for you no matter how busy we are. You’ll get your own desk and comfy chair, access to our WiFi, and best of all you’ll get our employee discount. As a member you’ll get 20% off all food and drinks every day, 20% off retail coffee and tea, and 10% off merchandise.

To start things out, rates will be $10 daily*, $30 weekly*, or $100 monthly. Once we are up and running we’re planning on adding some perks and amenities. If you are interested, email us at info@21streetcoffee.com

Yours in coffee,

21st Street Coffee and Tea

*If we are fully booked on a monthly basis the weekly and daily rates will not be available.

It has been almost three years since our last price increase, when we opened our downtown location at Three PNC Plaza. In that time, we’ve seen our costs increase in what we pay for coffee, tea, milk, wages, training, paper products, towels, and general overhead. Our brewed coffee prices, which are linked to prices we pay for each crop, have gone up steadily in this time. Espresso, tea, and milk drink prices, however, have been the same since Spring 2010.

Instead of using lesser quality ingredients, or spending less on wages and training, we’re focused on providing you the best possible service and product. This requires a small price increase on espresso drinks and tea. We know that you choose to visit our stores every day, and we want you to know that we appreciate your business.

If you’ve been to the Strip District location since we moved, you’ve probably seen there is an upper level in the back of the shop. Lots of folks have asked about when we’ll be opening it, what’s going up there, etc. We’re in the early stages of it, but we’re going to set it up as a small coworking space.

There will be desks, there will be internet, and of course there will be access to great coffee (and tea). Since we are new at this, there are some things we have to figure out and some improvements still to be made before it’s ready for use.

In the meantime… if this sounds interesting to you or you’ve always wanted to “work here”, give us a shout.

The Downtown location will be open regular hours today, and will reopen on Wednesday 12/26 from 8am-3pm.

The Strip District location will be open regular hours today and this weekend. We will be open Christmas Eve from 7-1’ish for any last minute shopping. We will be closed Christmas Day and be back to regular hours on the 26th.

So we made these little stands to hold an iPad for our point of sale system, but overall we think they are really cool and could have other applications. In order to do a small production run we decided to launch a Kickstarter to raise the necessary funds. Have a look and if you like what you see, support us!

Join us at our Strip District location on Friday Dec. 14th at 6pm for a tasting of various foods often used to describe the brightness of coffees, followed by a coffee cupping. Never been to a coffee cupping? That’s ok! Beginners as well as seasoned coffee vets are encouraged to come!

Earlier this year, we decided to change our bulky, costly, point-of-sale systems to the iPad-based Square Register. Before rolling out the new registers, we built some prototype stands to hold the iPad’s because we couldn’t find anything that met our needs. As it turns out, they worked great. Customers enjoy paying with Square and using the stands. It has made paying for stuff a little more fun. Now after months of testing we are making a new and improved version available for sale, and we’re excited to tell you about it.

Some background:
iPads are small, lightweight, and attractive. This could be a problem in a commercial setting, though, as without a way to secure the iPad it could be dropped, damaged, or stolen. We also found it was really awkward to hand someone an iPad or slide it across a countertop to complete a sale. Sometimes a customer only has one free hand. Looking at existing iPad stands, they all seemed to change the appearance of the device by enclosing it in a box of some sort. Also we didn’t simply want a base for it because there was still the issue of having to turn the whole thing around to let the customer use it. What we needed was an affordable, rugged, practical iPad stand that gives users both privacy and security without changing the iPad’s appearance.

Design criteria:
- Securely mount an iPad to a base so that it is not easily removed.
- Allow the base to rotate on an axis to provide privacy to users on opposite sides of the service counter.
- Construct from materials designed to last in a busy commercial setting- steel, aluminum, etc.
- Maintain the look of the iPad by minimizing the size of the mounting brackets.

The prototypes:
- Prototypes were made from oak and machine parts we had lying around the workshop. These units have been in heavy use for about six months.
- We looped a steel cable around one of the legs and fastened it to the counter for additional security. This would keep the iPad & stand from falling off the counter.
- We found that with it’s elevated position off the counter, the iPad is less likely to get wet. Important in our business!
- The motion of flipping the iPad over from cashier to user is intuitive (my one-year-old daughter knew how to use it immediately).
- It still looks like an iPad and doesn’t turn the iPad into a clunky touchscreen.
- By clamping the iPad on the top and bottom it is held securely in place and is not easily removable.
- The rotation provides a good viewing angle for users.

Version 1 changes:
- The base itself is now solid oak
- The brackets holding the iPad to the pivot point are slimmer. On this version there is even less material to detract from the iPad’s appearance.
- The pivot bracket is simpler and more robust than the prototype
- Added an optional thumbscrew to tighten /loosen the clamping brackets. In a commercial setting the thumbscrew could be replaced with machine screws that would require a tool to remove the iPad.
- Added padding to cushion the iPad and minimize contact points (no scratching).
- Works with both iPad 2 and iPad 3

We are offering the units (haven’t decided on a name yet) for $100. If you use Square Register at your business you need this!

Of course it makes sense now that we needed to open on the 21st of the month. If we had thought of that we would have moved out a few days later.

To update you all from where we left you yesterday, we hand delivered the remaining applications (fire alarm, sprinklers) to the building inspector at his office this morning. His response was “you’re persistent”. We have no complaints with the city, they’ve been awesome though this process and sympathetic to our situation. Their job is to make sure things are done properly and that public safety is the number one concern.

So until the sprinklers are installed… no restrooms. No restrooms means no seating (health code). BUT we can sell you any drink you like, you can have it in ceramic, and you can lean on our beautiful new bar and enjoy the hell out of this new place.

Originally we had planned to move our Strip District location on or before September 1st. Our lease at the old spot was up at the end of June, we were then in a month-to-month lease, and we gave our 30 days notice to our previous landlord July 31st. It was the right thing to do as we were on schedule with the new store and we wanted to give ample notice out of respect to the building owner.

As we neared that date we realized that things would not be quite ready, so we extended another half month. Until about a week and a half ago we were on schedule, so we began moving everything that wasn’t absolutely critical to the operation of our business. The store was a bit of a mess, if you didn’t notice, but we were able to serve customers and keep everyone employed. We planned on having inspections last Friday the 14th, and then move out the 16th and if we were lucky reopen the 17th.

Last week we started having serious problems with our plumber Jeff. He wasn’t showing up for work, and when he did show up he was very late and would not complete his tasks. At least a week was wasted. Ultimately he walked off the job last Thursday afternoon. When he left he also took with him most of the restroom fixtures that had already been paid for and did not belong to him.

We scrambled for a day before we found a new plumber, Joe Renners, who went to the Plumbing Division in Lawrenceville to get the permit put into his name. Backs against the wall and two days before the move out, we went into our own pocket to pay him to complete the job, plus redo a significant amount of work that had been done incorrectly by the previous plumber. Joe and his team did a tremendous job working through the weekend and battling through several issues until we passed our inspection yesterday morning.

In the meantime, we had our usual busy weekend and pulled the plug for good at the old place at 2pm Sunday. By 6pm we had the place squeaky clean and by 8pm we had finished peeling all our branding off the awning we put on the property 5 years ago.

We knew that Joe would not be able to complete the work in time for us to avoid shutting down operations for a couple of days, but our hope was that by end of day Wednesday we would be through all inspections and be permitted to open. He held up his end of the bargain. We then passed our ADA (handicap accessibility) inspection, and had previously passed our electrical and HVAC inspections. We were feeling hopeful.

Building Inspection, however, found an issue very late in the day. The sprinkler system did not adequately cover the restrooms and our “prep room”. They were absolutely correct in pointing this out and we learned that this was missed during construction. Oops. The Building Inspector has been very sympathetic to our situation, but he needs proof that this work will happen, so plans need to be submitted and need to appear in his system. We’ve been working the phones to get the fire prevention company on site, get plans drawn up, and submitted. We’re hopeful that once submitted that will be enough to get us open and the work will happen right away to get us to compliance.

So here we are- with an incredible staff, a beautiful new store, a great landlord, all the right equipment, and a bunch of amazing coffees… but we can’t let you come inside!

We’re continuing to keep everyone that works here on the payroll, because it’s not their fault and they have bills to pay. This is the situation we are in. We made decisions based on the best information we had, now we just need to get through this and get this place reopened.

We truly miss seeing our Strip District regulars, and we’re sorry we weren’t able to get this done the way we had planned. We just want to make you coffee, it’s just that there is a lot that goes into making that happen. If anyone is interested in producing a reality show about this place, hit us up.

We have a couple openings and we’re looking for a few new folks to join our team. This post is for the folks we will ultimately hire. We’re talking to you!

You will be joining a quality focused coffee business. We’re not into labels much but mostly into things that taste great. We strive to deliver the finest coffee, tea, and espresso drinks that we know how to make to a steady base of loyal & appreciative customers that we have won over since opening for business in 2006. Our customers are awesome, and we want to keep them. Of even greater importance to us is a strong work ethic and a desire to provide a pleasant and enjoyable experience to everyone that walks through our doors. Your job isn’t just to prepare the drinks, but to also make them accessible to first time customers that may not know what we do.

This also includes:

Being on time for work

Getting up early

A sense of urgency and focus for your tasks

Work well with others and realize that this is a team effort

Maintaining a professional attitude and appearance at all times

Working weekends

Washing lots of dishes

Taking out trash

Maintaining a clean store

Working both of our locations (Strip District and Fifth Ave Downtown)

An appreciation for brewed coffee

Respecting and maintaining the equipment and tools provided to you as a barista

An enthusiasm for what we offer as a business

An outgoing attitude and a willingness to make recommendations

Balancing quality and giving customers what they want without compromising the vision of the business

Being able to accept criticism, constructive and otherwise, and continually raise your game

Realizing that while your job is very important you are also the last of hundreds of steps that led from the coffee farm at origin to the customer’s cup

Understanding the balance of maintaining the serious business on our side of the counter, but keeping it fast, easy and fun for our customers

If this sounds exciting to you, please email us - info at 21street coffee dot com. We will send you an application for you to fill out and drop off at our store. This can be a really fun place to work and learn and meet great people. Also the coffee’s pretty good.

We will be closed this coming Sunday May 6th for the Pittsburgh Marathon. In the past this event has disrupted business significantly, so this year we’ve decided to take the day off. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and hope to see you during the week and on Saturday when we will be open our normal hours.

On Tuesday the 21st we’ll be doing a little coffee tasting/intro to coffee at our downtown location at 1pm. That’s 21st Street Coffee, on the 21st of Feb but it’s 225 Fifth Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh, got it? $5, taste some coffees, discuss, and maybe learn something new. Should be fun- hope to see you there!

Regarding the Home Coffee Brewing class we had scheduled for the 23rd, we’re going to postpone it for now, but look for it again in the near future.

The internet tells us that Washington’s Birthday (Presidents Day) is on Monday, February 20, 2012. Since this is a federal holiday and the banks/courts will be closed… the downtown location will also be closed. The Strip District location will be open normal hours for all your President’s Day needs.

We’ll be hosting another Coffee Tasting at the Strip District location on Thursday February 9th, at 5pm (we close at 4 but will reopen for the tasting). Just like before, it’s $5 at the door. Didn’t mean to rhyme, will try not to next ti… ok so you’ll get to taste coffee prepared a few different ways, including espresso. It’s a nice event because you basically hang out, taste stuff, and talk about it with like-minded folks. Hope to see you there!

Two weeks later on Thursday February 23rd, we’ll be hosting a Brew Class at 5pm. More details to come.